Had enough of your iPhone's small display and lack of 4G? Allow us to help with that.

A few years ago, we would have been hard pressed to come up with reasons for an iPhone owner to switch to Android. That's no longer a problem, thanks to the advent of super-fast 4G LTE phones, massive high-resolution displays, free GPS navigation, and Google Play's enormous expansion.

Whether you're thinking of making the jump or have already pulled the trigger, here's a guide to ensure that your transition from iOS to Android goes smoothly:

Basic Features

Go for a high-end phone. We review a lot of Android handsets across the board; some of the budget models are actually quite good now. But trust us—if you're coming from a slick iPhone, you're going to want to feel like you upgraded. Go for a 4.3-inch or greater LCD, a dual-core 1.2GHz or greater processor, and a high-resolution screen—especially 720p, which compares well with Apple's Retina display on the iPhone 4 and 4S.

Get a 4G LTE or HSPA+ 42 phone if possible. And without question, make sure it runs at least Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" out of the box, if not Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean," and try and find out when it will get Jelly Bean if it doesn't already have it.

We're drilling on getting a higher-end Android phone for a reason. There's a dramatic difference in the feel and responsiveness of the OS between, say, a low-end T-Mobile Prism and a high-end Samsung Galaxy S III. Even if it's $100 more up front, that works out to chump change over a two-year smartphone contract. The HTC One X on AT&T, the Samsung Galaxy S III for T-Mobile (or any carrier, really), the HTC EVO 4G LTE for Sprint, and the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX on Verizon (with its new Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade) are all great choices.

Change your home screen paradigm. On Android, unlike the iPhone, it's all about how you set up your home screen. Don't just stick with the standard icons: Install your favorite programs and useful widgets, and set up layouts using multiple home screens you can swipe between. Don't miss the three touch buttons along the bottom of the screen: the Home and Menu buttons in particular are your friends, and help will clarify almost any confusing situation on the screen itself.

Move your data to the cloud. Some of Android's best characteristics are its various over-the-air synchronization options for Google contacts, calendars, and email. Many Android devices also let you combine Facebook, Twitter, and Microsoft Exchange contacts with your phone's built-in address book. While there are ways to synchronize local Microsoft Outlook data with an Android phone, they're cumbersome and often unreliable.

Watch the battery drain. Android is notorious for its poor standby battery life, although the situation is improving. To prolong battery life, turn off 4G data (if possible), GPS, and Wi-Fi when you're not using them. More importantly, reduce or disable background polling for Facebook, Twitter, and your various email accounts. You can always run a manual sync with a single button tap at a moment's notice. (Also, check out our top 10 tips for improving your Android phone's battery life.)

Sync your media the right way. With the iPhone, it's all about iTunes. On Android, you have several options, including streaming services like Spotify and Google Play Music, swapping microSD memory cards, wireless syncing with doubleTwist, and dragging and dropping files directly over USB. None is really superior; it comes down to personal preference. If you have a lot of older song purchases in your iTunes music library, you'll need to upgrade them to iTunes Plus (unprotected) to play them on your Android phone.

Enjoying Android Apps

Free Google Maps GPS Navigation. Any phone with GPS and Google Maps can direct you around on foot, or display step-by-step driving directions that a passenger could read for you in the car. But Android phones go one step further, and can act as actual, voice-enabled, turn-by-turn navigation devices. Google Maps Navigation even includes features many standalone GPS devices lack, such as an animated satellite view, photo-realistic street views of destinations, and a flexible voice input mode that understands complex instructions like "navigate to the museum with the Picasso exhibit in San Francisco."

Try talking to your phone. Speaking of which, the navigation app isn't the only one that understands voice instructions; you can also run voice searches in Android. Download the Voice Actions app from Android Market; it lets you send text messages, cue up music tracks, call contacts or businesses, and compose email messages using your voice.

The Google Voice decision. Google Voice lets you control as many phones as you want from a central number. You can make and receive calls from within Gmail, manage your text messages and voice mail on your PC, and block individual numbers from calling you. If you have an Android device, you can load the Google Voice app, which integrates directly with the OS and lets you make calls out using your Google Voice number as caller ID. There are some latency issues, though. (Read our extensive guide on setting up and using Google Voice for more information.)

Head to the Google Play Store. You can now browse the Android market at play.google.com/store in a Web browser, as well as on your phone. You'll find that most iOS apps have Android equivalents, including stalwarts like Netflix, Hulu, Instagram, and top gaming franchises. Take note of the various customization apps; you have much more leeway in modifying the OS than you do with an iPhone, including installing alternative keyboards like Swype. You can also do things Apple would never approve of, such as download and install retro game console emulators.

Jamie Lendino is the managing editor for consumer electronics and mobile at PCMag.com and has written for the site and print magazine since 2005. Previously, Jamie was the Editor In Chief of Smart Device Central, PCMag's dedicated smartphone site, for its entire three-year run from 2006 to 2009. Before PCMag, he was a contributing editor for Laptop and mediabistro.com. His writing has also appeared in the print editions of Popular Science, Electronic Musician, and Sound and Vision, as well as on CNET and ConsumerReports.org.
Jamie is...
More »

Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service

//our current issue

Select Term:

24 issues for $29.99 ONLY $1.25 an issue! Lock in Your Savings!

12 issues for $19.99ONLY $1.67 an issue!

State

Country

This transaction is secure

Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service